Door-hanger.



No. 768,669. PA TENTED AUG. 30, 1904. W. LOUDEN.

DOOR HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.16, 1902. N0 MODEL.

. ullllllllll- UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

WVILLIAM LOUDEN, OF FAIRFIELD, IOWA.

DOOR-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,669, dated. August30, 1904.

Application filed December 15, 1902. Serial No. 135,395. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. WILLIAM LOUDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door-Hangers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive, neat, andeffective construction for door-hangers which will thoroughly protectthe wheel and prevent obstructions upon the track from wedging under it;also, to provide an inexpensive and effective flexible c011- nectionbetween the upper and lower sections of a hanger-frame, all ashereinafter set forth and as definitely embodied in the claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1is a rear elevation of a door-hanger embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a diagram showinghow the strap forming the upper section of the hanger-frame is cut froma strip of metal. Fig. 4 is a perspective of the connecting-loop.

In the drawings, A represents a track-rail, and B a bracket by means ofwhich it may be attached to a wall.

C is the casing or frame in which the trackwheel IV is mounted, and itpreferably has its lower end turned up under the track, so as to form ahook H to provide for a flexible con nection with a lower section, towhich the door is to be attached, and a guide-lug to prevent the hangerfrom getting off the track, all in the usual manner.

D represents a connecting-loop between the casingC and a strap S, whichis adapted to be secured to a door by means of bolts I, also in theusual manner. The loopDis made essentially triangular in verticalsection and is provided with an upper central member E and two lowerside members G, with an opening between them. The member E is madeessentially semicircular in cross-section, the rounded side being belowand the flat side above. The rounded side is adapted to rest and turn tosome extent in the hook H, formed by the bending of the lower part ofthe casingC, and the strap Sis hung upon the bars G. The flat side ofthe memberE is preferably made somewhat concave in cross-section, so asto correspond approximately (when hung in the hook H)with a circle drawnfrom a center in line with the point of contact of the wheel W upon theupper edge of the rail A. The members G are made with the upper sideshorizontally flattened and preferably have downwardly extending flangesJ formed on the lower sides of their outer edges.

Some of the objects and advantages of the above-described constructionof the loop D are as follows: The member E is made to occupy acomparatively large amount of space laterally and a comparatively smallamount of space vertically. In this way the largest practical amount ofspace is secured between the point of the hook H and its back, (wherethe member E is fitted.) and this affords the largest practical amountof room for lateral variations of the lower end of the casing C inrelation to the track A, also the smallest amount of space vertically isrequired between the lower portion of the hook H and the lower edge ofthe track A. Hence while the space for the vertical movement of the dooris increased the amount of vertical space usually required for the loopD below the track is decreased, and a closer fit between the door andthe track is secured. The upper side of the member E being slightlyconoaved, as described, it will always remain in a practically definiterelation to the lower edge of the track-rail A without regard to itslateral variations. In addition to this the opening between the membersGr makes the loop lighter than if it were made solid in the usual way.and it places the support of the strap S entirely at the corner, whereit should be, instead of entirely or mostly in the center of thehorizontally-disposed upper end of the strap,where the weight of thedoor might be liable to bend it, also the small amount of metal requiredto form the flanges J adds more strength to the members G than manytimes the metal filled in between them and at the same time affords abetter support for the corners of the strap S.

The upper portion of the casing O is made substantially the same widthas the diameter of the wheel W, so as to efl ectually shield it, and onthe inner side of the casing projecting Eli points P are left on thecorners of the strip of metal which forms it. These points P, inconconjunction with the edges of the body of the casing on the oppositeside of the wheel, form guides to keep the casing straight on the trackand tend to push birds nests and other obstructions which may be on thetrack ahead of them and to prevent said obstructions from getting wedgedfast under the wheel. Practically no more metal is required to form thecasing with the points P than to leave them off, as has been heretoforedone, because the edges of the strip of metal which forms the lower endof the casing having the hook H are cut away to make it narrower thanthe body, as shown by H in Fig. 4c, and in cutting the casing-blank outof a strip or band of metal the cut-away parts on one end are sufiicientto form the points P on the other. Therefore little or no additionalexpense is incurred, and the advantages of these points in door-hangercasings of this class is clearly apparent.

The axle for the wheel WV passes through the hole L in the body of thecasing U and also through the hole L in the recessed portion between theprongs P.

In casings made to completelv'shield the wheel WV, as in this invention,it is generally difficult to oil the bearings of the wheel. To overcomethis defect, 1 have placed an oil-hole K in the metal strip which formsthe casing, so as to be immediately over the hole through which thewheel-bearing is passed and so as i to come in close proximity to thebearing of the wheel. By this means the bearings may be easily oiledwithout having to reach in from one edge of the casing. These holes arepreferably placed on the side of the casing away from the bracket A, butcan be placed on either or both sides, if desired.

hat 1 claim is- 1. in a door-hanger, the combination with an uppersection cmnprising vin its construction a casing formed with a loop atits upper end and a hook at its lower end, a track-wheel journaled insaid loop, of a lower section comprising a strap constructed to embraceand support a door, and a connecting-loop essentially triangular incross-section and having three separatehorizontally-disposed membersjoining the corners thereof, one of said members being adapted toconnect with the hook of the upper section, and the other two membersbeing adapted to connect with the lower section.

2. In a door-hanger, the combination with an upper section comprising inits construction a casing formed with a loop at its upper end and a hookatits lower end, atrack-wheel 1 journaled in said loop, of a lowersection comprising a strap constructed to embrace and support a door,and a connecting-loop essentially triangular in cross-section and havingthree separate horizontally-disposed members joining the cornersthereof, one of said members being substantially semicircular incrosssection and adapted to hang in the hook of the upper section, andthe other two members being adapted to connect with the lower section.

In a door-hanger, the combination with an upper section comprising inits construction a casing formed with a loop at its lower end, atrack-wheel journaled in said loop, of a lower section comprising astrap'constructed to embrace and support a door, and aconnecting-loopessentially triangular in crosssection and having three separatehorizontally-disposed members joining the corners thereof, one of saidmembers being adapted to connect with the hook of the upper section, andthe other two members having their upper faces flattened, and providedon their outer edges with downwardly projecting flanges, and beingadapted to connect with the lower section.

4. In a door-hanger, a casing comprising a sheet-metal strap cut andbent so that oneof its ends will incase and substantially cover atrack-wheel, and its other end will form a hook for a door-supportingdevice, said firstmentioned end being recessed to leave on the oppositeedges of the strap projecting prongs P P extending down substantially toa line drawn horizontally through the lower edge of the wheel, and ahole for the wheel-axle situated at a distance from the bottom of saidrecess, the hooked end of the strap being narrowed so that it may be cutout of material between the prongs P P of an adjoining strap,

whereby material will be saved and a narrower loop and door-supportingdevice therefor will be required for the narrowed hook end of thecasing.

5. In door-hangers, a casing containing a wheel adapted to run upon atrack, said casing being adapted to shield and cover up said wheel, andhaving holes in its sides to admit the bearings therefor, and an extrahole in one or both sides of the casing adjacent to the holes for saidbearings, substantially as described. V

Signed at Fairfield, Iowa, December 12, 1902.

WILLIAM LOU DEN.

Witnesses:

GRAcu ATKINSON, LEWIS Game.

